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plantbasedbride's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
An extensive exploration of Obama's first term in office, perfect for those who are fascinated by the minutia of politics.
As a Canadian, I found the detailed timelines of the passing of bills a bit tedious but loved the big picture analysis of the American political system and the insights into how the Presidency affected Barack and his family.
I would highly recommend the audiobook as it's narrated by Obama himself!
As a Canadian, I found the detailed timelines of the passing of bills a bit tedious but loved the big picture analysis of the American political system and the insights into how the Presidency affected Barack and his family.
I would highly recommend the audiobook as it's narrated by Obama himself!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Racism and Homophobia
pagesfromhome's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
Barack Obama was the first president I volunteered for as well as the first one I voted for. So naturally, I'm a little biased to liking him and it would come as no surprise that I loved the first part of his memoirs.
Obama is known for being a little long-winded and that is certainly the case here. He often dives into the political process in ways that can feel a little too heavy in juxtaposition to the moments where he waxes poetic about the love he holds for his family. I'll admit that by far my favorite parts of the book were those moments where he was either speaking about his wife and daughters or the moments where he let his honesty really shine. At multiple points of the book, Obama is clearly saying things that he didn't feel appropriate sharing as President so I really enjoyed that blunt honesty. Unfortunately, having those moments of complete honesty then made those moments of not-so-honest stores felt more cagey.
Ultimately, this book was a 4.25 star for me. Obama is an incredible writer and I am very much looking forward to the next part of this series. I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in hearing about the goings-on of the modern political process, but as always, be aware that every political memoir is a piece of propaganda even though Obama is exceptionally self-aware of his own flaws throughout the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Violence, Torture, Racism, and Racial slurs
Minor: Antisemitism, Death, Genocide, Islamophobia, Homophobia, and Police brutality
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